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Systematic Review of Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithms

Mohsin Khan, Elisavet Kozyri, Håvard Dagenborg

TL;DR

This systematic review analyzes lightweight cryptographic algorithms suitable for resource-constrained devices such as IoT, RFID, and WSN. It classifies symmetric ciphers by architecture (SPN, FN, GFN, LMD, ARX) and hybrid designs, and surveys both stream and authenticated stream ciphers, with emphasis on hardware and software implementations, energy efficiency, and implementation costs. It also surveys lightweight asymmetric cryptography, focusing on prime-field and binary-field ECC (LWECC), highlighting performance trade-offs and application-fit across 80-, 96-, and 128-bit security levels. The study provides a consolidated view of design trade-offs using metrics like GE, FoM, CpB, and RANK, offering guidance on which algorithms best balance security, efficiency, and resource usage for different IoT-era deployment scenarios.

Abstract

The emergence of small computing devices and the integration of processing units into everyday objects has made lightweight cryptography an essential part of the security landscape. Conventional cryptographic algorithms such as AES, RSA, and DES are unsuitable for resource-constrained devices due to limited processing power, memory, and battery. This paper provides a systematic review of lightweight cryptographic algorithms and the appropriateness of different algorithms in different areas such as IoT, RFID, and wireless sensor networks. Using tabular analysis and graphical interpretation, we compare these algorithms in terms of performance, security, energy consumption, and implementation costs. An overview of the evolution of lightweight cryptography based on those design trade-offs is also provided.

Systematic Review of Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithms

TL;DR

This systematic review analyzes lightweight cryptographic algorithms suitable for resource-constrained devices such as IoT, RFID, and WSN. It classifies symmetric ciphers by architecture (SPN, FN, GFN, LMD, ARX) and hybrid designs, and surveys both stream and authenticated stream ciphers, with emphasis on hardware and software implementations, energy efficiency, and implementation costs. It also surveys lightweight asymmetric cryptography, focusing on prime-field and binary-field ECC (LWECC), highlighting performance trade-offs and application-fit across 80-, 96-, and 128-bit security levels. The study provides a consolidated view of design trade-offs using metrics like GE, FoM, CpB, and RANK, offering guidance on which algorithms best balance security, efficiency, and resource usage for different IoT-era deployment scenarios.

Abstract

The emergence of small computing devices and the integration of processing units into everyday objects has made lightweight cryptography an essential part of the security landscape. Conventional cryptographic algorithms such as AES, RSA, and DES are unsuitable for resource-constrained devices due to limited processing power, memory, and battery. This paper provides a systematic review of lightweight cryptographic algorithms and the appropriateness of different algorithms in different areas such as IoT, RFID, and wireless sensor networks. Using tabular analysis and graphical interpretation, we compare these algorithms in terms of performance, security, energy consumption, and implementation costs. An overview of the evolution of lightweight cryptography based on those design trade-offs is also provided.
Paper Structure (29 sections, 38 figures, 30 tables)

This paper contains 29 sections, 38 figures, 30 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Classification of Lightweight Cryptography and Performance Metrics
  3. Lightweight Symmetric Cipher
  4. Lightweight Block Cipher (LWBC)
  5. SPN
  6. Feistel Network (FN)
  7. GFN
  8. LMD
  9. ARX
  10. Lightweight Stream Cipher (LWSC)
  11. eSTREAM: The ECRYPT Stream Cipher Project
  12. LWAE
  13. Other Lightweight Stream Ciphers
  14. Lightweight Hybrid Cipher (LHC)
  15. Lightweight Asymmetric Cipher
  16. ...and 14 more sections

Figures (38)

  • Figure 1: Classification of Lightweight Cryptography.
  • Figure 2: Venn Diagram Representing the Metrics Used in Software and Hardware Implementation.
  • Figure 3: Classification of Lightweight Block Ciphers.
  • Figure 4: Throughput vs Gate Equivalency (GE) of SPN Block Ciphers.
  • Figure 5: Figure of Merit (FoM) of SPN Block Ciphers.
  • ...and 33 more figures